Spicy Mexican Paella with Cauliflower Rice: A Low-Carb

1. Place a paella pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring to break up any chunks, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Transfer chicken and sausage to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 cups of cauliflower rice. Cook and stir until cauliflower is browned slightly, about 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Pour canned tomatoes into the pan. Add bay leaves, thyme, saffron, and basil; mix well. Return sausage and chicken back to the pan. Stir in water, tomato paste, and bouillon until well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and fold in peas and remaining 1 cup cauliflower rice. Place frozen tilapia fillets on top of paella mixture; cover and steam for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid and check for doneness. Gently break apart fillets with a wooden spoon and stir to incorporate chunks of fish into paella.

5. Place the paella pan in the center of the table and serve.

Tips

Either buy cauliflower rice at your grocery store or make your own. Remove the outer leaves and cut into florets, removing most of the thick core. Place florets into a food processor and blend until cauliflower resembles fine rice, about 30 seconds. If you don’t have a food processor, grate it on the coarse side of a box grater. To add texture to the dish, you can grate some of the cauliflower rice into different sizes.

Cooking the cauliflower rice in the sausage drippings will help it form a nice toasty crust. This is very similar to the best part of traditional paella with rice, where seared rice sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Spicy Mexican chorizo provides a good amount of flavor and seasoning to the dish. That’s why there aren’t many herbs used in this recipe.